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Meeting with Honourable Minister Qualtrough

The UPCE National Executive met with the Honourable Carla Qualtrough, Minister of Public Services and Procurement on November 30, 2017 to discuss the future of Canada Post.

We reiterated a number of positions, including the following;

1.Canada Post’s social and public policy objectives should define the financial framework in which it needs to operate. Its commercial viability should be defined largely in terms of its capacity to fund and expand the “affordable and universal postal services to Canadians” that it is mandated to provide.

2.Canada Post should focus on innovation and the expansion of services, not cuts. Canada Post and the Government of Canada should restore the Food Mail Program.

3.Canada Post’s governance structures should reflect the Canadian population. The entire governance structure, including the Board of Directors, needs to be revised to ensure a re-commitment by Canada Post to providing public services based on equity, inclusion and the real needs of communities across our country.

Our conversation with the Honourable Carla Qualtrough was both refreshing and enlightening. The Minister seems to greatly value public services, equality, and diversity. We answered some of her questions regarding disability accommodations and what we believe to be a lack of opportunity or vehicle for employees to provide ideas regarding the direction of Canada Post.

We look forward to continuing our work with the Minister and we remain cautiously optimistic as we continue to move forward with the Canada Post review process. An announcement regarding the future of Canada Post is expected by the end of 2017.